Children's show closes Summer Theatre season

July 18, 2013

Closing out the 2013 season of ESU Summer Theatre is our children’s show, “Still Life with Iris” written by Steven Dietz. The first recipient of the Kennedy Center’s Fund for New American Plays Award, this fantastical adventure takes flight on a little girl’s search for her home. It remains one of the most popular productions presented by Kansas City’s Coterie Theatre.

Iris (Kylie Geiman, Sophomore, Louisburg) lives with her mother (Annie Rosenbrook, Senior, Merriam) and father (Colter Lemmon, Junior, Crawford, Nebraska) in the magical land of Nocturno where workers make, by night, all of the things we see in the world by day. In Nocturno memories are not kept in people’s minds, but in beautiful “past coats” worn by each citizen. When a past coat is torn, a trip to the memory mender (John Lloyd Stafford III, Sophomore, Drury University) is in store.

When Iris is taken from her home, and her past coat is removed, she finds herself trapped in the land of the Great Goods with the only memory of her home in a button that she clings to throughout her journey. In the land of the Great Goods, the rulers, Gretta and Grotto serve as her parents. Claiming that she is the most perfect among children, Iris feels like a prisoner in her new home. Here she meets new friends, Annabel Lee (Aubrey Near, Senior, Independence) and Mozart (Landon Noll, Junior, Winchester) who help free her and bring her home to her mother in Nocturno. Michael Stauffer (Senior, Newton) will be playing the Bolt Bender and Mister HimToo.

This family adventure is under the direction of Theresa Mitchell. The design team includes Doug Dion (sets), Amanda Dura (costumes) and Noah Mefford (lights). Mike Koetkemeyer and Kelly Roberts will be serving as the stage management team. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. in Karl C. Bruder Theatre July 24-26. The final performance on Saturday, July 27, will be a 2 p.m. family matinee. Individual tickets and season passes are available from the university box office at 620-341-6378.